iPhone X Portrait Lighting VS Actual Studio Lighting

Our smartphone cameras are getting better with every release, and companies have come up with innovative ways of mimicking the capabilities of actual cameras through various hardware and software combinations, and Apple’s iPhone X is no exception. Not only does it feature Portrait Mode introduced in the iPhone 7 Plus, but it also features Portrait Lighting.

For those unfamiliar, Portrait Lighting is a feature introduced with the iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X. Basically it attempts to mimic studio lighting so that instead of harsh lighting you get when you shoot with the flash straight on, it will offer up a softer illumination. However the question is, how does it hold up against actual studio lighting? Does it come close? Is it miles apart? That’s what YouTuber Daniel DeArco tries to find out in the video above.

In the video, DeArco shoots with the iPhone X and uses its Portrait Lighting, and afterwards he shoots using an actual studio lighting setup to see how Portrait Lighting compares to the real thing. As DeArco notes in his video, the difference is obvious. Actual studio lighting is clearly more powerful and has a more pronounced effect in terms of lighting the subject’s face as well as offering up some nice deep shadows.

However Portrait Lighting seems to be pretty useful if you do not own or have access to professional equipment, and it could do in a pinch. We expect that in the future these features will be improved upon.